Panels or Round Table Sessions (8) Description
P2: Lynne Stahl, Cornell University
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- P3: Malia Allen, Boston College; Kyoung-yim Kim, Boston College and Michael Malec, Boston College
- P4: Robert J. Lake, Wilfrid Laurier University
- Session Title: Emerging Sports and Constructed Identities Session Type
- P2: John Vlahos, York University
- P4: Xavier G.A. Clement
- Session Title: Ethnic Representations of Athletes Session Type
- P2: Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Social and Political Thought, York University
- P3: Wenyan (Kelly) Xu, University of Michigan and Ketra Armstrong, University of Michigan
- P4: Ellen J. Staurowsky, Drexel University
- Session Title: Social Inclusion through Recreation Session Type
- P2: Hector G. Mackie, University of Toronto
- P3: Michelle Gilbert, McMaster University
- Session Title: Wellness Discourses and Institutions Session Type
- P1: Rebecca M. Allen, Indiana University–Bloomington and Gary Sailes, Indiana University–Bloomington
- P2: Sarah K. Gray, University of Toronto and Courtney Szto, Simon Fraser University
P2: Lynne Stahl, Cornell University Ball and Chain: The Melodramatic Marriage of Racial Histories and American Sports Film Taking up an old and ongoing debate about the aesthetics and ethics of melodrama, this essay argues for a consideration of the American sports film as racial melodrama. Combining readings of such films - for example, White Men Can't Jump (1992), Juwanna Mann (2002), and The Blind Side (2009) - with a broader discussion of melodrama, I engage with such topically foundational critics as Peter Brooks and Linda Williams, whose work has been integral in recuperating the genre as a profound site of creative moral expression. Despite her citation of the OJ Simpson trial as a manifestation of conceptions of race ingrained into the national conscience by various forms of popular entertainment, Williams neglects to consider the genre of the sports film, which has been tacitly and explicitly bound up with legal and cultural discourses of race since the very advent of cinema. The 1912 Sims Act, for instance, banned the interstate distribution of prizefight films because Congress felt threatened by the increased visibility of black athletes such as Jack Johnson, who gained massively popular through the cinematic medium. In examining critical and popular responses to these films, I take Williams' claim for the ubiquity of melodramatic narrative within United States culture in a new direction, positing the need to unpack and interrogate this genre's respective and collective iconographies, historical contexts, and politics of race and gender in relation to American sports films. P3: Malia Allen, Boston College; Kyoung-yim Kim, Boston College and Michael Malec, Boston College Go, Fight, Win! Performative Masculinity in Cheerleading: A Case Study This paper explores how cheerleading may become a context where concepts of hegemonic masculinity can be negotiated. We argue that cheerleading is a feminized terrain where one can recognize the performance of both masculinity and femininity. At the interactional level, male cheerleaders may reform and produce different concepts of hegemonic masculinity while utilizing their race and class statuses to legitimize their gender performance. Because society has labeled attributed stereotypes and connotations to cheerleading, male cheerleaders may often feel the need to reaffirm their masculinity and heterosexuality through their actions. By asserting their role as cheerleaders to align with concepts of hegemonic masculinity, male cheerleaders maintain their dominant status and therefore avoid being labeled as deviant. Particularly at the institutional level, possibilities for 'undoing gender' and moving towards gender equality in cheerleading exist, and male cheerleaders can perform different variations of hegemonic masculinity. In conclusion, collegiate cheerleading provides an arena for male cheerleaders to reflect, reform (in part), and negotiate hegemonic masculinities in complex, multifaceted ways. P4: Robert J. Lake, Wilfrid Laurier University The “Bad Boys” of Tennis: Shifting Gender and Social Class Relations in the Era of Nastase, Connors and McEnroe The early-70s to mid-80s represents a unique era in elite-level tennis, when there emerged a new breed of player, more competitive, brash, hot-tempered and willing to subvert written rules and established ideals of sportsmanship, tradition and behavioral etiquette. Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe embodied this new style and achieved notoriety and on-court success partly as a result. Considering this the outcome of more than individual personality traits, however, this paper positions the developments in this particular period in the broader context of shifting gender and class relations. It aims to investigate the circumstances of how and why this new style emerged. Advances for female players in the context of the broader second-wave feminist movement and the incidence of several scandals that challenged the traditional and unfettered image of femininity in women's tennis are argued to have impacted on the ways in which men transmitted their masculinity both on and off court. Combined with shifting class relations and a general relaxation of behavioral codes as an outcome of liberalizing movements in the late-60s and 70s, this paper argues that the emergence of this new style was part of a much larger process of men attempting to redefine masculinity.
Session Type: Paper Presentation session Presider: Needed Note: FULL/4 Participants: P1: Tyler Dupont, State University of New York at Buffalo Hegemonic Skateboarding: Shifting Ideologies and Performances in a Global Subculture My presentation focuses on the shifting of the dominant hegemonic ideology and performance of self within the skateboarding subculture. Based on ethnographic research conducted in Canada, Russia, and the United States, along with contextual data, I argue that the dominant ideology and value system behind the subculture of skateboarding may be shifting away from the co-operative, non-conformist, creative, anti-corporate ideology that Beal (1996), Borden (2001), and Howell (2004) documented in their studies of skateboarders and the skateboard industry. Currently, due to various internal and external influences on the culture, the activity's dominant ideology has begun to emphasize competition, standardization, and corporatism, all of which have drastically affected the hegemonic performance of "skateboarder." P2: John Vlahos, York University Waist Deep in Mud: A Qualitative Investigation of Tough Mudder The Tough Mudder (TM) competition can be described as a non-stop, multidiscipline, individual and team endurance obstacle race that has been attracting participants since its inception in 2010. Its growing popularity has paralleled that of other adventure type races that have provided alternatives to mainstream sports and their values (Kay & Laberge, 2002). This paper centers on my master's study that examines how TM participants identify with and understand TM and how, in turn, TM contributes to their self-understanding as endurance race participants and risk-takers in sport. It also seeks to identify whether these participants are part of a specific social group whose preference for such a sport practice is linked to their location in social space. This study employs qualitative research methods including fieldwork/participant- observation of four TM events (including the World Toughest Mudder competition), content analysis of the official TM website and promotional materials as well as 12 to 15 semi structured interviews with TM participants. A goal of this proposed research is to further contribute to knowledge surrounding social identity amongst endurance race participants. P3: Audrey R. Giles, University of Ottawa; Gwenyth Stadig, University of New Brunswick; Francine Darroch, University of Ottawa; Meghan Lynch, University of Toronto; Michelle Doucette, University of Ottawa; Shaelyn Strachan, University of Manitoba, Municipality of Pangnirtung Sport on the Edge (of the Ice Floe): Swimming Snowmobiles in Nunavut In this presentation, we examine the phenomenon of the “sport” of “skipping” a snowmobile—that is, accelerating a snowmobile to speeds that allow the snowmobile and driver to "skip" across open bodies of water found between sheets of ice or ice and the shore. Though common in many northern communities, there is a paucity of research that examines this risky activity. Given the high rate of unintentional injury amongst Inuit, it is particularly important to better understand the reasons why some Inuit engage in this behavior. Using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with residents of Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada, we sought to understand who was skipping snowmobiles and why. Our results suggest that there are two forms of skipping: instrumental (i.e., necessary for travel on the land in order to avoid greater risks) and recreational (i.e., seeking out situations in which to skip for fun and excitement). Further, we found that it is mainly adult male hunters who engage in instrumental skipping, while male adolescents and young adults are most likely to participate in skipping for recreational purposes. These findings can help to inform strategies that seek to reduce unintentional injuries and fatalities in northern communities, especially amongst Inuit. P4: Xavier G.A. Clement, When Bourdieu Meeting Connell: A Reciprocal Contribution to the Study of Men and Masculinities in Sports The concept of "hegemonic masculinity" developed by Connell is widely used in the English literature studying the relationship between men, masculinities and sport. This concept is very useful for understanding the relationships and hierarchies between men and between different forms of masculinities in a given context. However, some critics noted the lack of theoretical tools for assessing the plasticity of the hegemonic form, the negotiation enacted by men with regards to hegemonic masculinity, and the interdependence between structure et agency. In this paper, we discuss how the concepts of habitus, field and capital developed by Bourdieu can be useful in the study of men and masculinities in sport. The work of Bourdieu, namely its androcentrism, has been widely criticized by English and French speaking feminist sociologists. However, many of them acknowledge the relevance of some Bourdieuian concepts, and use them to study the gendered construction of women in sport. We propose here an examination of some epistemological relationships between the concepts of these two authors, to see not only their epistemological complementarity, but also their complementarity.
Session Type: Paper Presentation session Presider: Needed Note: FULL/4 Participants: P1: Munene F. Mwaniki, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Black African Immigrant Athletes: Representation, Blackness, and Diaspora In this paper I use archival sports media data and preliminary interview data collected in the US and combine it with previous research done in the US and Europe to paint a picture of how black immigrant athletes have been used and interpreted by local/national media outlets to the detriment of both the 'native' and immigrant black populations in Europe and the US. Specifically, the discourse surrounding black immigrant athletes routinely constructs them as hard working and humble, values in line with the white dominated neoliberal political structure. These constructions play off of popular negative stereotypes of native black athletes as 'divas' and marginalizes native black communities in Western countries. Concurrently, black immigrant athletes remain an exotic attraction with little real influence over media constructions of themselves or places of origin. In short, sports media uses highly visible black athletic migrants against blackness as a whole in order to maintain white supremacy. I argue that, while this specific discursive usage of black immigrant athletes is often hinted at in previous research, we can be more explicit and theorize further, beyond the nation, and make transnational, or global, links that highlight processes of global anti-black racism in sport and sports media. P2: Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Social and Political Thought, York University Deconstructing Lin-sanity: Is Jeremy Lin a Model Minority Subject? In this presentation, discourse analysis will be used to explore the ways in which National Basketball Association player Jeremy Lin has been represented. As an elite athlete, Lin defies stereotypes associated with East Asians as a model minority writ large, belying assumed norms of passivity and hyper-intellectualism. Though Lin's narrative seems to stand as a counter-story to the hegemonic myth, such a reading is overly simplistic. The representation of Jeremy Lin, in fact, serves to reproduce the myth of the model minority and disseminate it through one of the most popular forms of contemporary culture in America: sport. While Lin participates in a non-traditional occupation, he still comes to embody precisely the sort of attributes associated with the model minority: hard work, discipline, intelligence, and a general acceptance of the prevailing norms of whiteness and capitalism. As such, he comes to serve a particularly useful disciplinary function for both hegemonic and subordinated groups in American society. For the white majority, Lin becomes an unthreatening face for non-white labor, making it easier to palate the pivotal role this labor plays in the US political economy. For other non-white subjects, Lin models the mode of behavior required to achieve acceptance in US society. P3: Wenyan (Kelly) Xu, University of Michigan and Ketra Armstrong, University of Michigan Sport Team-Market Ethnic Congruence: Excavations of the Ethnic Preferences for Hispanic MLB Players US Major League Baseball (MLB) is comprised of players from all over the world; a third of them are born in 14 countries outside of the US. Some teams (i.e., New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers) have a disproportionately large number of Hispanic players. Interestingly, these teams are also located in multicultural/multinational cities with a sizeable Hispanic population. Is this phenomenon regarding team-market ethnic congruence a matter of random selection or a function of athletes' ethnic preferences? This investigation sought to explore this dynamic through sociocultural lenses. Variables investigated as predictors of the composition of Hispanics on MLB teams included: the total market population, markets' per capita income, markets' Hispanic composition, teams' payroll, and teams' winning percentage. The results revealed that these factors explained 29% of the variance in the representation of Hispanic free agents' on MLB teams, and the composition of the market's Hispanic community was the strongest predictor. These results inferred an underlying salience of ethnic identification to free agent Hispanic MLB players and evidenced the 'separation' dimension of acculturation. These findings attest to the need for cultural competencies in multicultural marketing (notably community relations) to navigate the glocalization of US sports. P4: Ellen J. Staurowsky, Drexel University How Did a Question Regarding an American Indian Sport Nickname Get Into a U.S. Presidential Election Survey? On September 24, 2004, the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES) reported that 90% of American Indians were not bothered by the fact that the Professional Football Inc. team in Washington, D.C. was referred to by the “redskins.” Since the announcement of that finding, it has been referenced frequently in news accounts as a counter argument to repeated attempts by American Indians and their allies for the franchise to cease using the term because it is a racial pejorative (Graziano, 2013; Maass, 2013; Smith, 2013). How did it come to pass that an issue that had not been identified in any political party platform in 2004 was included in a survey whose sole focus was on voter preferences for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, factors that influenced voter behavior, and voter attitudes towards campaign issues? This presentation examines the phrasing of the question regarding the Washington franchise in the NAES 2004 in relationship to other questions; situate the timing of the announcement of the finding within the timeline for the Harjo v. Pro-Football Inc. case (2005); and the implications of understanding the context out of which the NAES survey finding was presented to the American public.
Session Type: Paper Presentation session Presider: Needed Note: FULL/3 Participants: P1: B. Kyle A. Rich, Western University and Laura Misener, Western University Examining the Integrative Potential a Participatory Sport Event for Newcomers to Canada The purpose of this paper is to examine how recreational participatory sporting events can offer the integrative potential to enhance adaptation/acculturation processes of newcomers to Canada both within and outside of the sporting milieu. Specifically, in this paper we examine the Community Cup program, which originated in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Data collected through document analysis and focus group interviews is used to examine various characteristics of the Community Cup program and as well as participants' experiences in the program. By examining this program through the lens of social inclusion, we discuss the potential for participatory sporting events to impact and improve newcomers’ transition to Canada. Furthermore, based on our discussion, we offer suggestions for sport event managers to improve the design and implementation of programming offered for diverse/newcomer populations. P2: Hector G. Mackie, University of Toronto School Sport and the Making of Policy in the UK - Some Preliminary Observations This study draws upon a three-month investigation undertaken as undergraduate research for my dissertation. It emphasizes the complexity and reality involved in the making of school sport and physical education policy in the UK. It draws upon qualitative interview data from two different groups of people (i) UK Ministers and (ii) School Teachers. It suggests that policy change can occur anywhere in the implementation process and that the impact of any policy can only really be recognized once it is implemented. It argues and evidences the fact that the end result might be something different from that which was originally intended. The study had access to UK cabinet ministers under the previous Labor administration. The study supports the evidence and exemplifies that policies within schools are manipulated by those implementing policy so that (in their opinion) the policy 'suits' a specific environment. This study suggests that schools with a good sporting culture manipulate policy to fit it in to their already thriving sports culture. This study reveals that poorer performing schools were not as active in the policy manipulation process and therefore the outcomes of certain policies did not necessarily create any advantages: inequality gaps were maintained and the outcome was often undesirable. P3: Michelle Gilbert, McMaster University Volunteer Sports Organizations: An Athlete’s Perspective This paper explores volunteer sports organizations from the perspectives of athletes. The youth equestrian sport known as 'pony club' is commonly considered the most affordable way to participate in equestrian sport in Canada. Current and former pony clubbers explain the challenges and benefits to involvement in a volunteer sport organization. Participants outline how volunteer roles and personalities shaped their sport experiences. Applying Bourdieu's theory of cultural and social capital this paper examines how changes in the equestrian industry in Canada have challenged the pony club's ability to produce elite equestrians. Although the organization still fosters the development of cultural capital through education its ability to improve social capital has declined. This paper argues that challenges faced by the volunteer organization, the pony club, are a reflection of a changing equine industry in Canada.
Session Type: Paper Presentation session Presider: Needed Note: FULL/4 Participants: P1: Rebecca M. Allen, Indiana University–Bloomington and Gary Sailes, Indiana University–Bloomington An Analysis of NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Wellness Program Objectives among B1G Schools There are a growing number of individuals pushing for the implementation of collegiate wellness courses for incoming student-athletes, as well as the reform of programming that is already in place. The goals of such programs are primarily the same; help student-athletes integrate and transition into collegiate life. Athletes have been shown to earn fewer bachelor's degrees and have a lower retention rate than their peers. Student-athletes take longer earning their degree, earn lower grades and take less demanding courses (Adelman, 1990). As the competitive nature of collegiate sports rises, so do the problems for student-athletes (Dudley, Johnson & Johnson, 2001). Student-athletes report more difficulty in taking leadership roles, learning from mistakes, discussing personal problems and articulating thoughts than their peers (Dudley, Johnson & Johnson, 2001). Wellness courses aim to help student-athletes succeed and overcome obstacles. The implementation of the NCAA's CHAMPS/Life Skills Program has created an outlet for universities to align with the academic goals of the NCAA in order to ensure overall wellness for student-athletes (Street, 2008). This program can help to deter stress, encourage time management, boost nutritional knowledge and maintain overall levels of health and wellness, as well as aid in acclimation to collegiate life and culture. This presentation reviews the programs and assistance offered at B1G Universities and the positive effects these programs have on the student-athlete. P2: Sarah K. Gray, University of Toronto and Courtney Szto, Simon Fraser University Are you not ‘Thinspired?’ Bio-citizenship and Surveillance of Obesity through Twitter and Facebook The reality television show, The Biggest Loser, assists 'obese' individuals by 'transforming' their lives through drastic weight loss. The show is predicated on the idea that Western countries are in the midst of an 'obesity epidemic' that requires immediate action by all citizens. Using Rail's (2012) obesity clinic as an entry point into the obesity discourse, the authors used the social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook to observe how television viewers make sense of and engage with the information (re)produced by season 14 of The Biggest Loser. Twitter was observed to act as a confessional for viewers while Facebook presented a platform for the reproduction of bio pedagogical discourses. Although resistance was observed in both arenas, findings suggest that social media facilitates active surveillance with viewers/consumers, who in turn become multipliers of surveillance. The authors recommend increases and enhancements in media literacy to challenge the politicized information (re)produced through popular media such as television and social media. Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2013 2013 -> International post doctoral research fellowship programme final report title of the research 2013 -> Seals Family History 1565 to 2004 2013 -> Rao bulletin 15 July 2013 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles 2013 -> R institute of technology school of foreign languages 2013 -> Provisional Programme – subject to change thursday 10th april 2013 -> June, 2013 National hiv testing Day Month Men’s Health Week Hurricane Safety Month 2013 -> In memory of the residents of the Parish Chesham Bois that served their country during wwii 2013 -> Federal contract awards in georgia april 2013 Download 0.58 Mb. Share with your friends:
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